System, Method, and Apparatus for Realizing Multi-Contributor Photography

Abstract

A system for generating a topographical map uses crowd sourcing to solicit drone owners to fly their drones in a predetermined pattern over one section of a desired mapping area. As drone owners perform such flights and upload the images of the predetermined pattern, those images are joined with images captured by other drone owners to produce the desired topographical map

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for realizing multi-contributor photography, the system comprising:
 an area of interest as specified by a client;   the area of interest is presented to a server computer;   a fee for providing a topographic image of the area of interest is provided to the client;   if the fee is approved, the area of interest is divided into a plurality of job sections and the plurality of job sections are advertised;   as each job section in the plurality of job sections is requested by a user, a flight plan for a requested job section of the plurality of job sections is downloaded to a user control device associated with the user and the user then runs the flight plan, capturing multiple images of the requested job section;   upon completion of the flight plan, the multiple images are uploaded from the user control device to the server computer;   upon completion of the plurality of job sections the multiple images that were uploaded to the server computer for all of the plurality of job sections is mosaicked into a single orthorectified mosaic image; and   the single orthorectified mosaic image is provided to the client.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein before the single orthorectified mosaic image is provided to the client, the fee is received from the client. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein after the multiple images are uploaded from the user control device to the server computer, the multiple images are checked for quality and, if the multiple images lack quality, the flight plan for the requested job section is again downloaded to the user control device associated with the user and the flight plan is rerun, recapturing the multiple images of the requested job section, and upon completion of the flight plan, the multiple images are uploaded from the user control device to the server computer. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of job sections are advertised along with an enumeration for each job section of the plurality of job sections. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein if there is a lack of interest in any job section in the plurality of job sections, the any job sections are re-advertised along with an increased enumeration for the any job section of the plurality of job sections. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the enumeration comprises a payment of money. 
     
     
         7 . A method for realizing multi-contributor photography, the method comprising:
 receiving an area of interest from a client;   proposing a fee for providing a topographic image of the area of interest to the client;   if the fee is approved, dividing the area of interest into a plurality of job sections;   advertising the plurality of job sections;   as each job section in the plurality of job sections is requested by a user, downloading a flight plan for a requested job section of the plurality of job sections to a user control device associated with the user;   responsive to the downloading of the flight plan, the user running the flight plan and capturing multiple images of the requested job section;   upon completion of the flight plan, uploading of the multiple images from the user control device to a server computer;   upon completion of the plurality of job sections, the server computer mosaicking the multiple images that were uploaded for all of the plurality of job sections into a single orthorectified mosaic image; and   providing the single orthorectified mosaic image to the client.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein before the single orthorectified mosaic image is provided to the client, receiving the fee from the client. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein after the step of uploading of the multiple images from the user control device to the server computer, checking of the multiple images for quality and, if the checking of the multiple images indicating a lack quality, again downloading the flight plan for the requested job section to the user control device associated with the user and the user rerunning the flight plan, recapturing the multiple images of the requested job section, and upon completion of the flight plan, uploading of the multiple images from the user control device to the server computer. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the step of advertising the plurality of job sections includes advertising an enumeration for each job section of the plurality of job sections. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein if there is a lack of interest in any job section in the plurality of job sections, re-advertising the any job section with an increased enumeration for the any job section. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the enumeration comprises paying an amount of money. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the enumeration comprises providing a gift. 
     
     
         14 . Program instructions tangibly embodied in a non-transitory storage medium for realizing multi-contributor photography, wherein the at least one instruction comprises:
 computer readable instructions running on a server computer receive an area of interest from a client;   computer readable instructions running on the server computer present a fee for providing a topographic image of the area of interest to the client;   if the fee is approved, computer readable instructions running on the server computer divide the area of interest into a plurality of job sections;   computer readable instructions running on the server computer advertise the plurality of job sections;   as each job section in the plurality of job sections is requested by a user, computer readable instructions running on the server computer download a flight plan for a requested job section of the plurality of job sections to a user control device associated with the user and computer readable instructions running on the user control device store the flight plan;   responsive to the downloading of the flight plan, computer readable instructions running on the user control device run the flight plan and capture multiple images of the requested job section;   upon completion of the flight plan, computer readable instructions running on the user control device upload the multiple images from the user control device to the server computer;   upon completion of the plurality of job sections, computer readable instructions running on the server computer combine the multiple images that were uploaded for all of the plurality of job sections into a single orthorectified mosaic image; and   computer readable instructions running on the server computer provide the single orthorectified mosaic image to the client.   
     
     
         15 . The Program instructions tangibly embodied in the non-transitory storage medium for realizing multi-contributor photography of  claim 14 , wherein before the single orthorectified mosaic image is provided to the client, computer readable instructions running on the server computer receives the fee from the client. 
     
     
         16 . The Program instructions tangibly embodied in the non-transitory storage medium for realizing multi-contributor photography of  claim 14 , wherein after the step of the computer readable instructions running on the server computer uploads of the multiple images from the user control device to the server computer, computer readable instructions running on the server computer check the multiple images for quality and, if the multiple images lack quality, computer readable instructions running on the server computer download the flight plan for the requested job section to the user control device associated with the user and computer readable instructions running on the user control device rerun the flight plan, recapture the multiple images of the requested job section, and upon completion of the flight plan, computer readable instructions running on the user control device upload the multiple images from the user control device to the server computer. 
     
     
         17 . The Program instructions tangibly embodied in the non-transitory storage medium for realizing multi-contributor photography of  claim 14 , wherein the computer readable instructions running on the server computer advertise the plurality of job sections includes computer readable instructions running on the server computer that advertise an enumeration for each job section of the plurality of job sections. 
     
     
         18 . The Program instructions tangibly embodied in the non-transitory storage medium for realizing multi-contributor photography of  claim 17 , wherein if there is a lack of interest in any job section in the plurality of job sections, computer readable instructions running on the server computer re-advertise the any job section with an increased enumeration for the any job section. 
     
     
         19 . The Program instructions tangibly embodied in the non-transitory storage medium for realizing multi-contributor photography of  claim 17 , wherein the enumeration comprises an amount of money. 
     
     
         20 . The Program instructions tangibly embodied in the non-transitory storage medium for realizing multi-contributor photography of  claim 17 , wherein the enumeration comprises a gift.